Prince Harry has spoken out about turning 40 and said he is eager to start a new chapter in his life. The Prince, who is also the Duke of Sussex, told reporters he would celebrate with his family at their California home, adding how important it is to him to spend as much time as possible with his two children, five-year-old Archie and three-year-old Lilibet. “Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life,” he said. The Prince added that turning 30 made him nervous, whereas 40 is exciting.
When the Prince turned 30, he had just returned from active service with the British Army and his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Since then, his life has undergone enormous change. He met American actress Meghan Markle on a blind date in 2016, and the couple announced their engagement in 2017. The American spent her first Christmas with the Royal family the same year and married the Prince in May 2018 after converting to the Anglican faith.
More than 600 guests attended the lavish wedding at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England, where they celebrated their union and were officially named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. By 2021, life dramatically changed again for Harry when it became clear that his wife was not suited to the regimented Royal lifestyle and was becoming increasingly distressed about her coverage in Britain’s notorious tabloid media.
Harry and Meghan stepped away from Royal duties and soon departed the UK to start a new life in California. Prince Harry subsequently began speaking out about life inside the ancient institution and wrote a tell-all book about his childhood experiences. It was met with ferocious criticism in the UK, where Harry was labeled a traitor to his family and the British Crown. Meghan Markle accused the family of racism and reported receiving no support from “the firm” – the administrative body that tightly regulates the lives of the Royal family’s members.
The British public turned against the once-popular Prince Harry, who is now among the country’s least-admired Royals. Across the internet, British citizens condemned Harry for attacking the Royal family on the world stage, while the beloved Queen’s health was fading and her husband, Prince Philip, was hospitalized. Harry’s brother, Prince William, cut ties with the Duke, and the pair have reportedly not spoken since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in late 2022.
The title of Harry’s autobiography, Spare, refers to his standing in the hierarchical Royal system, where his older brother is the heir, and he is the spare. The brothers are the only sons of Britain’s King Charles III.
